All Things Bright and Beautiful
by SerendipityAEY
Summary: The birth of a second child, first daughter to a Jedi and her clone. In a dark galaxy, there is still light and love to be found, everywhere.


_An: I wrote this piece quite awhile ago as a fic gift for the talented laloga, for her birthday, which is today. This story features and/or mentions her characters Stonewall, Kalinda, Milo, Kamala, Honi, Weave, Zara, Traxis and Ares, as well as Mundali, a planet she created, from her own Eye of the Storm series (leave her a review for her birthday!) which I was graciously allowed use of for this story. I don't own anything. Please enjoy, thanks for reading :)  
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_All Things Bright and Beautiful__  
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Bright and clear, yellow light from the rising Mundali sun infused the cozy room with a burst of new energy. A step away from their bed, Stonewall stood and took a long, deep breath, attempting to still his pounding heart and school his swirling emotions to some semblance of calm as he watched his newborn daughter, crying and squirmy, placed in his wife's arms for the very first time.

Dawn had just broken through the canopy of the surrounding verdant jungle, calling forth a new day on their home and their family. The evening before had been dark - clouds thick and heavy in a leaden sky but had ended happily, as it usually did. Together, Stone and Kali had put little Milo to bed with kisses and extra hugs and then climbed into bed themselves. Normal. Quiet. Perfect.

And then sometime in the middle of the night Kali had woken Stone with a gentle shake to his arm.

"It's time,"'she whispered.

"What time?" Stone murmured, still a little groggy, until the full meaning of her statement came to him at once and he bolted upright in bed, the blankets falling away from his bare chest. "_Time_ time?"

Even in the dark, he recognized Kali's soft smile.

"But it's too early," he argued. "Two weeks early."

Kali gave a quiet laugh. "I have a feeling this little one will take after her namesake and do just as she pleases."

Stone was just about to make a teasing reply when Kali's face drew pinched in an expression of pain.

"_Kali'ka_?" He reached for her, and she clutched his forearm with one hand while the other went to her abdomen.

After a moment, she relaxed again and took a breath. "You should get Honi and Weave. I think she's coming soon..."

Heart thudding in his chest, Stone nodded and leapt out of bed, quickly pulling on a pair of pants but foregoing his shirt and proceeded to make his way to Honi and Weave's room to wake them. And he woke everyone else on the way as well, for good measure. The floor was cool beneath his bare feet from the milder temperatures that came with night, and it was dark, but he hardly noticed.

From the moment he returned to their bedroom, the red-haired Jedi healer on his heels, time passed in a blur and it seemed only moments later Honi was instructing Kali to start pushing. Stone stood next to the bed, Kali's hand grasped within his own and she gave a firm squeeze, though he wasn't quite sure if it was more for his benefit than hers. At some point, though he could not recall exactly when, he had found a shirt to pull on.

Perspiration beaded on his wife's forehead but even despite this, she was absolutely glowing. While Stone felt as if he was about to burst from nervous energy, his heart racing in his chest, Kali was the epitome of Jedi calm and control. In fact, she had handled the entire pregnancy as if it was no challenge at all.

Stone swallowed thickly as a swell of love and pride for Kali threatened to overwhelm him. _For the love of the Force he_ would not _cry_. He had thought this would be easy because he had done it before, but that could not seem to be further from the truth.

On the bed, Kali was still pushing, looking fierce and brave and so beautiful he could hardly breathe. And Honi was delivering the baby, perched at the end of the bed. Zara was assisting Honi and another healer, a nurse whose name he couldn't remember at the moment was on the other side of the bed helping to coach Kali. The woman had only recently arrived on Mudali and Stone had not had a chance to get to know her, or the Jedi she had arrived with after Traxis and Ares had found them, but he knew from Weave that she was proving to be quite an accomplished healer. Weave himself stood near the door, arms crossed over his chest, ready to help should the need arise. Everyone else, he knew, was awake and likely gathered in the kitchen.

Suddenly Kali gave a cry as another contraction came and Honi told her to push one more time.

A haze of emotion clouded Stone's thoughts but he tried to focus all his attention on Kali and the impending arrival of their daughter, but it was difficult. _It was too early. She was early. He wasn't ready..._

But it didn't matter.

In the next moment, a loud wail filled the air. His second child, his first daughter, was born and she was not happy about it.

Events continued at a blurring pace even after that first cry. Without hesitation, Honi carefully cradled the crying newborn and reached up to place her on Kali's chest. Stone crouched over the bed and shared a joyous smile with his wife, they laughed and kissed and everything looked a little blurry through the sheen of unshed tears that filled the clone's eyes. Activity surrounded them, but he did not notice. Nothing else mattered.

In the next moment though, the umbilical cord was cut and little Kamala was taken aside momentarily. Then they needed to finish with Kali and all the post-labor; Stone wasn't sure of the details but he was fine with that.

So he took a step back, giving Kali a bit of space as she recovered and he reveled in the moment. A new day, a new life.

As soon as little Kam was cleaned and wrapped warmly in a receiving blanket, she was handed to Stone.

* * *

The first moment he held the tiny squirming little baby girl in his arms, he felt his entire being change.

And she _was_ tiny, at barely six pounds she seemed much smaller than he ever remembered Milo. Soft, downy hair just barely covered her head, so fine and light. Her eyes were dark, little eyelids cracked open as she peered at him. Though he knew the color would change as she grew, he couldn't help but wonder if they would turn the rich brown he so loved of Kali's eyes...

Then the thought struck him that perhaps she would have amber eyes like his own, and he felt a flicker of excitement and hope. Of course, it didn't really matter but he smiled at the notion anyway. Looking at her, he tried to discern what other features she might have inherited.

At one time he'd assumed all babies looked the same. Of course the clones on Kamino had, but he had seen a few civilian babies as well and they had all looked the same to him - but Kamala could not look or feel any different than Milo.

Even as he cradled her, so tiny, close to his chest her little face screwed up in displeasure, she wriggled unhappily, one little fist escaping her tightly wrapped blanket to wave haphazardly in the air. Through the Force, Stone extended his awareness to her and he could immediately sense each current of swirling emotion, complex and querying.

If he was honest...nothing like he'd ever felt from Milo. While there was usually a contentedness to his little boy's feelings, Kamala was decidedly not so.

So clearly, Stone could sense her trying to process everything around her about this new world, sounds that were too sharp and loud, light that was too bright, air that was too cold...

As best as he could Stone tried to send soothing waves through the Force and he snuggled her closer to his body even as she began to fuss more vocally.

Idly, Stone could not help but recall Milo's birth and all the pain and trouble that had surrounded that time in their lives. Worry had plagued him, for a long time, that somehow the little boy would be affected by all that had happened while Kali was pregnant and yet here he was completely fine, always so happy and even-tempered.

As if she knew his attention had skewed, the baby, his daughter, squirmed again his arms and gave a little cry and Stone couldn't help but wonder with a touch of amusement, as only a loving parent could, if little Kamala would end up being the complete opposite of Milo. Life had a way of always seeming to surprise him.

Tightening his arms, Stone carefully held her as close to his chest as he could, her head pressed at the spot over where his heart was and he lifted his other hand to stroke his fingers across her forehead. She quieted instantly and he felt her swell of comfort through the Force as she was soothed by the heat of his body and the familiar sound of his heartbeat.

As her cries abated, she finally opened her eyes a little wider and she locked onto his gaze, suddenly seeming mesmerized by him. He spoke quietly to her, telling her how much he loved her and how happy he was to meet her and she made a little coo in response. When Stone realized in the next moment that she recognized his voice and he felt the accompanying flicker of _love _from her, he had to take a long shaky breath as his chest constricted.

In that moment he knew without a doubt that whatever trouble she gave him, and perhaps she would give him all the trouble in the world, it would not matter one bit. She would always have his heart and he would always have her six.

Kali liked to tease him about being wrapped around Milo's finger and he knew it would be the same with his daughter, maybe more so, but he didn't care. He wanted to give her everything in the galaxy if he could. She would always have his total love and support.

Glancing up, he found Kali watching them, unfettered love shining in her eyes and Stone was unable to contain his answering grin. For the millionth time since he'd met the dark haired Jedi, he thanked the Force for bringing her into his life.

Finally after a few more minutes of cleaning up and getting Kali comfortable, the new parents were left alone with their daughter. Milo would be awake soon, he knew, and he was looking forward to his whole family being together, but for now it was the three of them.

Movements slow and careful, Stone situated himself on the bed next to Kali and slid little Kamala from his arms into Kali's.

It took a few attempts to get the fussy newborn to start eating, but soon enough she figured it out and was happily suckling away. Stone, again, watched Kali in awe, his arm wrapped tightly around her shoulders.

When Kamala had her fill, Kali gently rubbed her back until she burped, and settled the baby back in her arms while readjusting her tunic.

Both mama's and da's gazes were riveted on the little one, and with both her parents full attention and love, and a full tummy, Kamala finally seemed contented.

In that moment, Stonewall could not help himself, he felt as if his heart was bursting with love and happiness. "I love you so much," he said. His voice was hoarse and he pressed a kiss to Kali's brow as his arm tightened around the mother of his children.

"I love you, too," was whispered back to him, but Kali did not break her gaze from her daughter. For a long time they were quiet. Soon enough, Kamala's eyes began to drift shut. She yawned, and a tiny noise of contentment left her.

Kali looked up then to share a beaming smile with Stone. One tear rolled down the curve of her cheek, her hair was a little messy but her eyes were shining.

Stone knew they would all have many obstacles to face but there was so much happiness to be found, and there always would be. Nothing else mattered; love was cemented in their family.

Time passed fast; he knew first hand with Milo as it seemed as if he had been a newborn himself just yesterday, so Stone was determined to savor this moment. The very first day of her life.

In his heart he could make this moment last forever.

Stone was awash with amazement at the light that could be found even amidst so much dark. What had happened in this galaxy had been terrible, but the Force had brought them all here to this place. He had a wife and children and a home. And Stone could not regret the path that led him to this place, to this wealth of love.


End file.
